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Laura Margarita Shea

My work explores complex polyhedral structures and polygon formations stitched with beads and thread. The repertoire contains classic geometric forms, whole and partial frame polyhedra, regular tilings and tessellations. I connect the component forms at contiguous polygonal faces and edges to create chains, sculptural polyhedra and tilings. The open networks of tilings and frame polyhedra provide a magical space for light to play with crystal and glass beads scattering refracted light and creating intriguing patterns, both substantial and insubstantial.

Three Margarita Transformations Bangles

3 x 11 x 11 cm

Three-dimensional Angle Stitching (Beadwork)

2016

Three bangles made of sixteen interconnected bead frame polyhedra: eight dodecahedra and eight truncated icosahedra per bangle. Each polyhedron is a different edge-color pattern,The 16 color patterns repeat on each bangle. The materials are Swarovski round crystals and artificial pearls stitched together with monofilament. On the largest diameter bangle, the beads are 4mm in size. The other two bangles are duals of each other with 3 and 4 mm beads. The medium bangle has 3mm pearls and 4mm crystals, The smallest bangle has 4mm pearls and 3mm crystals. Varying the edge lengths creates differently shaped polyhedral transformations on the medium and small bangle. There are a total of 48 distinct, individual, connected bead polyhedra.

Three Margarita Transformations Bangles--Stack View

3 x 11 x 10 cm

Three-dimensional Angle Stitching (Beadwork)

2016

The bottom bangle consists of 4mm beads/edges.The bead frame polyhedra (8 dodecahedra, 8 truncated icosahedra) are regular. On the middle and upper bangles the polyhedra become Margarita Transformations."Margarita" means pearl or bead in Latin and Greek.The polyhedra share pentagonal faces. With varied edge lengths, the polyhedra morph or transform. The relation of edges to vertices and the locations of the pentagonal and hexagonal faces remain the same as the bottom regular bangle. The middle and top bangle are duals of each other with some angles now irregular Where one bangle has 3mm beads/edges, the other has 4mm beads/edges and the reverse. The three bangles have a total of 48 distinctly different, connected polyhedra.